Night Shift

Loose rafters

by Kevin Craven | Jun 14, 2006

Tucked away in quiet old Kaimuki is the house that Jackie built. Just a stone’s throw from Kapi’olani Community College sits a cozy little venue perfect for your weekly jazz fix or an occasional night of whimsical comedy. Ward’s Rafters offers casual comfort, exceptional entertainment and the price is a donation based on your appreciation.

Run by the inimitable Jackie Ward< \h>–in fact it’s her house–Ward’s Rafters is home to the best local jazz artists, as well as occasional visiting jazz performers from around the country. Jackie, along with her late husband Herb Ward–former bassist with the Honolulu Symphony–remodeled their attic to accommodate about 50 to 60 guests to get their groove on at these Sunday sessions. Notice we said guests, not customers. As this is a house in a residential neighborhood, zoning laws prohibit any advertisement, admission charges or serving of food. In other words, we are not advertising, we’re just a little birdie chirping in your ear about a generous lady who allows guests to visit while she hosts a recital of her musician friends. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more. Every Sunday at 3pm begins an afternoon of musical bliss. Bring your own wine or favorite libation, turkey-and-saurkraut sandwich and a Ho-Ho to munch as you relax in a comfy chair and slip into your zone.

Loose Screws–Hawai’i’s premier improv troupe–provides giggles at 7:30pm on the first Friday of every month. On June 4, the first half of their act was a short play, inspired by suggestions from the audience, about a Brit–with a Scottish accent–trying to find himself a job in the British Navy with his mate, a Scot–with a British accent–only to discover that he is actually the illegitimate son of a bishop and the Queen of England, and this is after he is honored for scaring off the Scottish Navy by shooting his mate in the foot. Christopher Obenchain stole the show with his portrayal of the bishop’s butler of uncommon sarcasm and wit, as well as the Queen of England, who had a crush on the bishop’s butler (himself). Just to mess with him, the bishop called for his butler while in a scene with the Queen, forcing Obenchain to play both parts simultaneously, a predicament he managed to hilariously overcome by fainting as the Queen and dragging her–himself–off as the butler.

The evening ended with Screwbuki, an improv version of Kabuki sans makeup and costumes, and some short skits, our favorite one being the dance competition for white guys–nuff said. Check out [loosescrews.org] for future performance dates and info.